Gò0dNews for Parents
What A $40 Jogging Stroller Taught Me by Jordan Burchette
I
have been taking advantage of our local greenway each
I stayed in a constant state of fear and panic during
morning after breakfast. I load my two kids in the car and
that time of their lives. What if someone snatched them
head to the park. The walk is peaceful, as the greenway is
up? What if they fell off of the swings or slide? These were
surrounded by thick trees, a gently flowing river, and many
questions that kept me at home, free from danger. Even
beautiful stops along the way, including a duck refuge.
when we were home, I rarely went outside for longer than
It is a perfect way to start one’s day, especially with two
an hour. What if they got mauled by a dog? Or what if
littles full of energy upon waking up each morning. After a
they got hit by a car? Many of the fears were completely
few days of enjoying the local landscape, they started to get
irrational, but I couldn’t see it at that time.
lazy. “We don’t want to walk anymore,” they whined. “My legs hurt,” they grumpily complained. “We just want to go
Isn’t that how life goes? We don’t always see God using those seasons to mold us at the time.
to the park,” they griped. So, in true Type-A fashion, I decided to “kill two birds with one stone.” I would run/ walk while the kids enjoyed the bumpy ride and then finish our morning exercise at the end of the track, where a beautiful playground was conveniently located. A win for all of us! I wanted a basic jogging stroller to run with and scored one on Facebook Marketplace for $40. I arranged a pick-up time with the seller and stuffed the lightly-used stroller into the back of my SUV. We headed towards the park, where I proceeded to fumble with the new stroller for ten minutes until I finally figured out how to use it. Once I finally got the stroller opened, locked, and
Now, several years later, I see how far God has brought
packed full of snacks and water bottles, we took off down
me. Somewhere in the last few years, I woke up and realized
the greenway. I walked for a few minutes to warm my
I wanted to be the mom that went out and really lived life
calve muscles up, and then I took off jogging, pushing
with her kids. I didn’t want to be a slave to fear any longer,
them as I jogged.
nor did I want to pass that fear onto my children. I want
As I was walking, I looked down at both of my kids, and
them to watch me live life even if I am scared. This morning,
my mind immediately returned to a few years ago when
I read my Bible and read about Jesus casting out demons that
we lived in Greenville, South Carolina. Isn’t it strange how
knew and feared Him because they knew who He was and
certain moments trigger memories? Our youngest was a
how powerful He was. Jesus, in the same chapter, rebuked a
baby, and our oldest was probably two or two and a half
storm. That is the God I, and hopefully, you, serve.
when we lived in that beautiful city. I remembered how I mile run/walk on a wooded greenway. I barely went outside in general, to be honest.
24 // January 2022
About The Author
would have never ventured out to take both kids on a three-
Jordan Burchette writes stories to encourage, inspire, and challenge others. When she isn’t writing, she is running her small business, enjoying time with her family, and drinking coffee. You can follow her blog at www.thewordsofjordannoel.com.
